Budget Casserole Recipes for Dinner (2024)

These budget casserole recipes for dinner are great for anyone who needs to feed a family while sticking to a budget. These frugal casserole recipes will also help you meal prep. I’ve included my own family’s favorites!

Making different kinds of casserole recipes for dinner is a great way to make sure you have leftovers. These oven baked casserole dishes make for an easy, one pan meal, that can also be prepped in advance and then baked when you need them.

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I like to make a budget casserole at least once a week. It’s a great way to make groceries and on hand pantry items go further…and they are so easy! It’s a no-brainer, easy and inexpensive…total winner.

Easy casserole recipes are one of my favorite parts about fall and winter. They’re also really handy for busy weeknights so we eat them pretty much year-round.

If you plan ahead, you can keep some of these delicious casserole recipes in your freezer. Then, you can just thaw one in the fridge overnight, and pop it in the oven for dinner. I usually assign that job to one of my kids while I’m out doing carpool.

Can I freeze these casserole recipes?

You can absolutely freeze casserole recipes. Depending on how much time you want to put in now, versus time you’ll have to put in later you have a few options.

The first option is to make the entire casserole in an aluminum or freezer friendly pan, and then freeze once it’s cooked. This is great for casseroles that aren’t super heavy on the pasta. When you are ready to use them just thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then pop into the oven to reheat.

The second option is to assemble the casserole and then freeze it before you bake it. When you thaw out the casserole you’ll have to finish the recipe by baking it for a longer amount of time. This is not always a bad thing though, most of them can still be finished in 30 minutes or less and you won’t end up with mushy pasta!

Other ways to meal prep budget casserole recipes for dinner:

Another way I like to meal prep with budget friendly casserole recipes is to make a large casserole and then divide it up into meal prep containers. Portion each casserole out into smaller containers that are easy for everyone to grab for lunches, dinner that only needs to be popped into the microwave, etc.

If you are looking for a way to make extra meals in advance you can always make two casseroles at once, put that oven time to good use! Portion out the whole second casserole for leftovers and then you don’t have to worry about eating the same dinners every night throughout the week.

Other smart ways to save on casserole recipes:

Make sure you are shopping your refrigerator or pantry before making your grocery list. Use up old spices, make substitutions for similar ingredients, etc. There’s no sense in letting items sit and go to waste if you can swap them into your casserole recipes.

Because casseroles are so forgiving you can make changes for dietary needs as well! I like to swap in gluten free or dairy free alternatives where possible, using whatever I have on hand!

Another way to save is to double the recipe whenever possible. You can probably save yourself some time in the kitchen, some money on ingredients you might only use for one recipe, and of course you will then have a second meal already prepped and ready to go. Pop it into the freezer and thaw out when you need it!

Finally, leave out complicated ingredients. If you come across something that you can’t find locally or something that’s just too pricey, skip it. Or find an alternative. Dried spices will work just as well as fresh ones in most cases, for example.

Casserole Recipes for Dinner

All of these budget casseroles can be made for under $10. And with smart grocery shopping, you can get that down to $5 in some cases.

Think about how many servings most of these casseroles make. It’s really incredible to be able to feed your family a home-cooked meal that doesn’t break the bank!